“Describe a difficult problem you’ve had to deal with.”

This is a favorite tough question. It is designed to probe your professional profile, specifically your analytical skills. “Well, I always follow a five-step format with a difficult problem. One, I stand back and examine the problem. Two, I recognize the problem as the symptom of other, perhaps hidden, factors. Three, I make a list of possible solutions to be problem. Four, I weight both the consequences and cost of each solution and determine the best solution. And five, I go to my boss, outline the problem, make my recommendation, and ask for my supervisor’s advice and approval.” Then give an example of a problem and your solution.